AN HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENCE OF A DENTIST AND THEIR INFLUENCE IN REMEDIATING CASES OF VAP: A REVIEW

Abstract

The presence of the dentist (CD) as an active professional in the intensive care unit (ICU) is essential in preventing potential occurrences of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Furthermore, oral hygiene protocols and dental procedures focus on mitigating and removing oral pathogens, thereby reducing the quantity of microorganisms in the oral flora. The integration of dentists into the multidisciplinary team has been growing, as these professionals possess technical and scientific knowledge that can mitigate potential complications related to infections in intubated patients. The implementation of an oral hygiene protocol provides comfort to the patient and improves their quality of life, reducing the risk of chronic inflammatory and infectious processes that can exacerbate or contribute to the patient’s condition in the ICU. The objective of this work is to conduct a literature review on the presence of dentists in the multidisciplinary team, with a focus on reducing complications through oral hygiene. It is important to note that the presence of these professionals directly impacts the patient’s length of stay in the ICU and increases the cost of hospitalization.